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Critical Role’s first campaign took the D&D world by storm. They’re now in their third campaign and they are thriving creatively and financially! As the years roll onward, we must not forget the heroes that started it all: the heroes of Vox Machina.
Vox Machina’s adventuring days may be over, but their lives press on. I’ll explain what they’ve been up to according to Critical Role’s new book, Tal’Dorei Reborn.
What happened to Grog Strongjaw?
Grog chose to embrace retirement in Westruun where he lives with his best pal Pike Trickfoot. For a time, he dwelled at Pike’s home, the Red House of Trickfoot. While Grog has always been a physical force to be reckoned with, he now realizes that he must sharpen his mind like his blade. He’s learning to read and strengthen his mental capacities.
When he’s not honing his mind studying colors, shapes, and words, Grog hosts an event called the Luncheon of Champions. He puts his newfound literacy to the test as he sends handwritten letters to the strongest warriors in all the land, inviting them to duke it out and brawl until a winner emerges. After the battle is over, the combatants join Grog for lunch and ale. You can bet the ale is his personal brand, Strongjaw Ale.
Grog’s kinship with Pike prompted Scanlan to ask Grog for permission before accepting Pike’s marriage proposal. Grog gave Scanlan a black sapphire to give to Pike, and Grog carried Scanlan down the aisle at the wedding.
His statblock places Grog’s challenge rating at 18. He wields the Titanstone Knuckles, a Vestige of Divergence. He also wields a Bloodaxe and Dwarven Thrower.
What happened to Keyleth?
Keyleth is interesting because she continues to be involved in Critical Role adventures. She has been involved in each Critical Role campaign. She made a brief appearance in campaign two, and she is a quest giver to Orym in campaign three. Keyleth’s druidic nature has caused her to appear as if she hasn’t aged a day since her days with Vox Machina.
Despite her best efforts to create unity across Tal’Dorei and create a better world, Keyleth has been unable to sway the more powerful elites of Tal’Dorei. Keyleth is a powerful person, creating trust and respect from some and suspicions and fear from others. She’s a threat, or so they imagine.
Campaign one’s culminations included Keyleth’s rise to become Voice of the Tempest, essentially a druidic position of authority and power among the Air Ashari in Zephrah. She is known for her stoicism and strength despite the great losses she has experienced and the sacrifices she’s made. Under Keyleth’s leadership, the Ashari have become more integrated with other communities, especially because she acts as an ambassador to the Tal’Dorei Council.
One way that Keyleth has united the Ashari is with a crisis orbs system for communication, but she expanded it to other settlements in Tal’Dorei. Additionally, Percy has helped Keyleth to create windmills for the Air Ashari in Zephrah. Several of the windmills are used to refine whitestone residuum, and the material is used to create magic items and arm Ashari skydancers.
Keyleth’s mother Vilya returned after disappearing during her Aramente trial where she lost her leg to a Kraken and narrowly escaped. She now helps Keyleth in any way she can. This is the key part of campaign two that tied into Keyleth’s story. Keyleth has made defense a priority as she wants to be able to contribute to a continental threat.
Keyleth has a home away from home in Whitestone near Grey Hunt Manor. She created a hidden trail from the manor called the Snowdrop Memorial Trail, maintained by Vex’ahlia. The trail leads to the Greyfield where a shrine to the Matron of Ravens is. On the trail, there is no memorial plaque, but it’s on this trail that Keyleth can remember her companion Vax’ildan, now the Champion of Ravens serving the god of death.
Though she does not adventure anymore, preferring to work through those she trusts or hires, Tal’Dorei Reborn’s pages specifically say she would heed the call if an archdruid should be needed. Her statblock challenge rating is 18, but she’s certainly more powerful than that. She wields her staff, Spire of Conflux, a Vestige of Divergence (though rumors say she seeks to gift it to someone worthy and capable of doing good in small ways).
What happened to Percival (Percy) de Rolo?
To get it out of the way, Percy’s full name is Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III. He has endured much in his life, and he expresses in his old age how he’s grateful to have survived his hardships. He would’ve regretted dying as the person he was when he was driven by vengeance. Instead of a vengeful demise, Percy has five children with his dear Vex’ahlia.
Percy’s primary focus these days is on his family and on Whitestone. He feels unease about his invention of firearms, so he turns his tinkering now to things that bring joy, such as children’s toys (I assume). His greatest achievement is a clocktower called the Heart of Whitestone. The clocktower is Percy’s favorite invention, and he tinkers with it often, installing new features and embellishments. It tracks astral movement and keeps a calendar, including individual movements for holidays. Rumor has it among scholars that Percy’s most dangerous inventions are stored in a vault inside the clocktower.
Despite his place as a governor of Whitestone, he prefers to spend his time and energy creating. Among his inventive marvels are streetlights powered by Whitestone’s underground acid pools (essentially a power grid), time-telling watches, and the windmill network of Zephrah for the Air Ashari. He also engineered Whitestone’s iconic skyport. The light system he created in Whitestone creates a green glow through much of the city, including at the castle’s watch posts.
Along with his sister Cassandra, Percy oversees the new system of government in Whitestone, the Chamber of Whitestone. It’s a council with members appointed by the Guardian of Woven Stone. The Guardian will be a member of the de Rolo family until the council unanimously decides no living de Rolo is fit or accepting of the appointment.
Castle Whitestone is not open to the public. The castle’s gardens are publicly accessible, except for the Widow’s Garden that Percy has revived and cultivated with Keyleth’s horticultural assistance. This walled garden was once a menagerie of poisonous plants that Melanie de Rolo, Percy’s ancestor, had cultivated to slowly poison her husband. I wonder what Percy is doing with it?
Together with Vex’ahlia, Percival prefers to stop crime by dealing with poverty and suffering. Criminals are preferably rehabilitated, though some still warrant punishment.
Percy’s Weapons and Inventions
Percy’s long-range rifles have become infamous tools of the Whitestone Rifle Corps. They are rarely permitted to wield the deadly firearms outside of Whitestone for fear of the technology falling into the hands of enemies (or anyone else in the world).
The Grey Hunters are the elite forces trained in hand-to-hand combat and marksmanship. Percy has used inlaid whitestone to preserve the firearms from wear and tear, and marksmen are trained to meticulously care for their rifles. Losing a rifle will mean they cannot return to Whitestone until it’s recovered. The Hunters are honor-bound to retrieve any Whitestone firearm that is discovered outside of the city. Percival takes care to make sure corruption does not enter the Hunters’ ranks, seeing them as a necessary evil as much as the firearms he created. The Grey Hunters answer to the Mistress of the Grey Hunt, Lady Vex’ahlia.
One of Whitestone’s modern challenges has been to deal with Remnants, cultists of the Whispered One, and followers of the Briarwoods who would see Whitestone taken again. They dwell secretly in the Alabaster Sierras despite being hunted by the Grey Hunters.
Percival’s statblock gives him a challenge rating of 18. Percy wears Cabal’s Ruin, a Vestige of Divergence. He also keeps his firearms Animus and Bad News handy. Animus was an invention of Anna Ripley.
What happened to Pike Trickfoot?
Pike embraces her many titles when they’re given with love. She is full of “warmth, calm, and comfort.” Her rebellious, rowdy moments still surprise strangers.
After Wilhand Trickfoot passed away, the Red House of Trickfoot was left to Pike. There she lived with Grog for a time until she proposed marriage to Scanlan and he moved in.
I never thought I’d see the day, but Pike eventually returned Scanlan’s romantic interest. They now have two children together in Westruun. The children were born within a year of each other; their names are Juniper (Scanlan’s mother’s name) and Wilhand’ildan (Juni and Wax). When the children grew old enough to venture out to school, Pike and Scanlan ended their relationship with sad smiles. They promised to always be best friends, and they’ve lived up to that promise. They still end up sleeping together once in a while.
With the kids away at school and Scanlan no longer around, Pike moved to Whitestone and built a temple to the Everlight in the Temple Ward. She spends most of her time there tending gardens and helping visitors. The temple is called the Hearth of the Everlight. Though the temple is used for normal religious studies and ceremonies, it’s also a place for feasts and revelries in honor of Pike.
She frequents the Slayer’s Cake Bakery, and she makes sure the bakers live up to the standards of their reputation. When Keyleth is at her home in Whitestone, Pike enjoys stopping by for pastries and catching up.
Pike’s statblock gives her a challenge rating of 17. She wears Plate of the Dawnmartyr armor, a Vestige of Divergence. She also has a Mace of Disruption.
What happened to Scanlan Shorthalt?
After stopping the Whispered One, Scanlan’s deeds spread throughout the lands (he made sure of that). Bards would be in error if they didn’t know what Scanlan had supposedly done.
After asking Grog for his fatherly/brotherly blessing, Scanlan married Pike after she proposed. They had two children (more about them in Pike’s epilogue earlier). The children grew to go on to school and leave home. Like empty-nesters are prone to do, Pike and Scanlan divorced, though amicably. Pike and Scanlan remain friends, and sometimes more for the night. Ultimately, their paths diverged and they followed their own ways.
Scanlan is getting to be an old gnome with a bigger belly and a retreating hairline (nothing a combover can’t fix). His illusion magic keeps him looking young when he needs to look the part of the young, charismatic Scanlan. He also grew a mustache, which he believes makes him look “distinguished.”
He started a business with his pre-Pike daughter, Kaylie. The trading business is called Meatman Imports & Sexports. They do business in Ank’Harel, a warm place to spend winter seasons, but the job keeps Scanlan traveling around to sing songs of Vox Machina across Exandria. Scanlan would sometimes assume the form of the Meat Man, a Marquetian human named “Aes Adon.” He and Kaylie would take turns playing the role.
Scanlan took the time to send expensive items to Sybil, Kaylie’s mother, to make sure she was taken care of. He also paid for Kaylie to be educated at the Alabaster Lyceum located in Emon.
The statblock for Scanlan has him at a challenge rating of 15, the lowest of all the original Vox Machina player characters. He wields the Vestige of Divergence, Mythcarver, his blade.
What happened to Taryon Darrington?
Taryon’s confident bravado is now warranted. He’s extremely successful as a patron of adventuring groups. He ran the Darrington Brigade for many years and promoted the “truth” of their exploits. He later launched smaller adventuring parties in the dangerous lands of Wildemount.
When Taryon realized he had completed his checklist of adventuring goals, he figured he’d take to a quiet life as a writer. After all, he’d done plenty of “non-fiction” writing, so he decided to give fiction a try. Taryon and Lawrence now live on the Menagerie Coast in a writer’s cottage in Port Demali. Doty X (“Doty Ten”) functions as Taryon’s scribe and majordomo. Lawrence tutors students locally.
“The Deastock Mysteries” is Taryon’s most successful book series. They’re about a blonde lad solving crimes in Wildemount with his galaxy brain and robot sidekick (sounds familiar).
Taryon is known to charter a skyship to visit old friends in Whitestone. You know who they are.
The statblock for Taryon gives him a challenge rating of 9. He wields a Mercurial Longsword and can throw a Bead of Force.
What happened to Vax’ildan?
After the events of campaign one, Vax was able to bid farewell to his loved ones. His borrowed time was up. He would make one last appearance as himself at Vex’s wedding when Scanlan used his last Wish to request his appearance. He told his friends and family to live on, and he thanked them.
The Champion of Ravens is not Vax’ildan, though Vax’s soul dwells within him. Serving the Matron of Ravens, his mortal appearances are rare. He carries out the will of the Matron of Ravens against those who pervert the natural oblivion that is death.
For those who fear death, the Champion of Ravens may appear as an act of kindness. His kind soul soothes their souls as he shepherds them from the mortal realm.
Vax’ildan as the Champion of Ravens has a challenge rating of 21. He wields his dagger, Whisper, a Vestige of Divergence. He dons Deathwalker’s Ward with its powers from the Matron of Ravens.
What happened to Vex’ahlia?
Vex’ahlia sits today as the Master of Commerce on the Tal’Dorei Council. She is also Whitestone’s Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt and a champion of the Dawnfather. Many of my notes on Percy will inform what Vex has been up to since they are married and have much to do with one another’s histories. Vex is a mother to five children. Though she has a few gray hairs, she’s still very much her frugal, charming, flirtatious self.
Trinket remains by Vex’ahlia’s side. Lord Trinket’s Public Park was created in Whitestone at Vex’s request. The area had been cleared for an expansion of the city, but more Emonian refugees left Whitestone than expected. The park is decorated with a marble statue of the beloved bear, Trinket. Vex goes to the park to play with Trinket when she finds the time. Visiting dignitaries can stay in some homes that were eventually placed in the park as was originally intended. Trinket has become slower in his old age, but he keeps up with his young cub as they play. Vex often brings her children to play with her ursine companion.
Vex’ahlia serves as the Mistress of the Grey Hunt, overseeing the elite fighters of the namesake. Though she no longer adventures, she does accompany the Grey Hunters to eliminate substantial threats to Tal’Dorei’s peace and prosperity.
The children of Vex’ahlia and Percy are named thusly: Vesper Elaine de Rolo, Gwendolyn Zahra Melanie von Musel de Rolo, Wolfe Kristoff de Rolo, Leona Pike de Rolo, and Vax’ildan Fredrick de Rolo. Their youngest child is their daughter, Gwendolyn, who was born as a Tiefling due to Percy’s involvement with fiends. This is because Tieflings can be born to non-Tieflings when one of them has made deals with fiends, which can happen with grandchildren or distant descendants (not merely immediate offspring).
Vex’ahlia’s statblock indicates that her challenge rating is 18. She wields Fenthras, her longbow Vestige of Divergence. Trinket’s challenge rating is 5, and he is drawn to Vex’s demiplane in the Raven’s Slumber when Trinket is reduced to zero hitpoints.
What else has Vox Machina been up to?
Vox Machina founded a bakery called the Slayer’s Cake Bakery, a clever reference to the Slayer’s Take organization from campaign one.
The gang often reunites in Whitestone during the summer when Scanlan appears for his and Pike’s favorite season. It’s a time for “simple pleasures” as they eat and relax together. Their children swap stories about their odd parents. These reunions sometimes result in Pike and Scanlan sharing a bed together once more, but definitely not all the time. The members of Vox Machina will always have their lives intertwined somewhat, and that’s the way they prefer it.
Will Vox Machina ever team up again when Exandria or Tal’Dorei require their greatest heroes? Time will tell. For now, they live their lives and do their best to follow the paths before them. Let me know if I missed any details in their epilogues that are worth noting, and thank you for reading!
Tal’Dorei Reborn
Want to get this lore and more for yourself? Buy Critical Role’s Tal’Dorei Reborn book for a D&D 5e campaign setting and lore companion to the official setting of Critical Role! It’s now available on Amazon.
great content, thanks for sharing